If I wanted to run wild with items, I probably would grind for alpha cores and the colony limits would be effectively broken. That said, I try to put one industry item per world, and I have found enough to put one per colony. I have Soil Nanites on one of my Terrans, found a pristine nanoforge (but I have no heavy industry on a non-habitable yet, my Orbital Works are on the Terrans for now), swiped the Spool from Evertide and stuck it on a frozen world with volatiles, and will soon swipe the Synchrotron from one of the core worlds. I have found two dealmakers but no commerce is online yet. Also have cataclysmic cores, but I do not need them if I do not try to use the hypershunt taps. So far, only the Terrans are size 6. The rest are size 3 for now.
In my current game, I have a mostly great system with a gate, but it is missing a "No Atmosphere" planet for fuel production, and I need to find another system with a planet, but the most convenient ones are 200% hazard (has high ores, but my high-gravity Terran has as much ores and more), and it is the only planet worth colonizing in the system (either only planet in system, or hazard of others are over 200 hazard), which might make it vulnerable to expeditions (might need to SP improve the base for more fleets).
My options for colonizing:
* Two systems next to mine (and within radius of cryosleeper): One 200% hazard barren I need for fuel production, effectively only planet (the other planet is 225% hazard I don't need) and the other system has 100% arid, only planet in system.
* Another gate system near core with two 175% hazard "No Atmosphere" worlds. Problem? Middle of multiple pirate bases. Got raid alerts before the spaceports were built. (Rolled back game to previous save).
* Penelope's Star: Gas giant with 150% hazard (for heavy industry) and 175% hazard barren (for fuel). Very close to Magec, a gate system. If I dump one of my higher hazard worlds in my main system, I can nab Ithica or the 125% desert, but its resources are low.
* Kumari Kandam: Has everything I need and a better volatiles world than the one in my main system, but something bugs me about it. Probably that I do not feel like I own the system, must share with others unless I sat bomb them off the map. Call it irrational or whatever. Pathers (who I am neutral with) have patrols that might intercept trading partners.
* Another system close to core, with 100% Terran with pre-gen pollution (ideal for Heavy Industry) and 150% hazard barren (good for fuel). Only problem, nearest gate is almost ten light years away. Also diametrically opposed with my main colonies. While main colony system southwest of core, this secondary system is northeast of core. It would be okay if it was close to a gate, but it is not.
There are other systems with good worlds and near gates, but too far from core.
Whatever option I choose, there is a possibility I may get six worlds, and since I am not impressed with basic Commerce (and I am not planning to bomb the core worlds to death), and I do not have dealmakers for all worlds, I am leaning toward dumping Commerce on some worlds for the extra colony.